Department for Education

Childcare: Staff

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of expansion of the childcare sector workforce necessary to implement the expansion of childcare provision as announced in the Spring Budget on 15 March.

Baroness Barran: The department regularly survey a representative sample of over 10,000 childcare providers to gain insights into how they run their provision and the challenges that they face. This includes data on the workforce. This survey can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/childcare-and-early-years-provider-survey/2022. The department also regularly survey over 6,000 parents to understand their usage of childcare, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2021.This data was used to inform our methodology and the uplift required to meet the pressures that providers face, and to evaluate the impact this will have on early years settings, early years staff and the sufficiency of childcare. The department is planning to share further details in due course.

Childcare: Finance

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity challengesthe childcare sectorwill face in implementing the increase in childcare provision as announced in the Spring Budget on 15 March; and what financial supportthey will provide to help the sector meet these capacity challenges.

Baroness Barran: In the Spring Budget announcement of 15 March 2023, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children, and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.Our reforms include:Providing over £4.1 billion by 2027/28 to fund 30 hours of free childcare for children over the age of nine months.Investing £204 million from September 2023, rising to £288 million in 2024/25 to uplift the rates for existing entitlements.Increasing the supply of wraparound care through £289 million start up funding.Attracting more people to childminding through an up to £7.2 million start up grant fund.Giving providers more flexibility by changing staff-to-child ratios to 1:5 for two year olds in England.Launching a consultation on further measures to support reform of the childcare market, to explore further flexibilities for providers.The department regularly survey a representative sample of over 10,000 providers to gain insights into how they run their provision and the challenges they face. We also regularly survey over 6,000 parents to understand their usage of childcare.This data was used to inform our methodology and the uplift required to meet the pressures providers face, and to evaluate the impact this will have on settings, staff and the sufficiency of childcare.The department will work closely with local authorities, providers and the sector to identify what needs to be in place to support the expansion in childcare provision including capital requirements as well as workforce, and will share further details in due course.We are also ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the 30 hours offer to allow the sector to develop the necessary capacity.

Further Education: T-levels

Lord Baker of Dorking: To ask His Majesty's Government how many of entrantsfor T Level examinations in 2022 were studying in FE colleges.

Baroness Barran: The department does not have available data on how many students sat T Level assessments in 2022 at institutional level. The department expects T Levels to be included in school and college performance tables from 2024 which should include student numbers.Of the 164 providers that are currently delivering T Levels, 105 are Further Education (FE) colleges. The department has selected a relatively small number of high performing providers for the first years of T Level delivery to ensure T Levels are high quality courses from the very start.The number of FE providers delivering T Levels is increasing year on year, and the department expects student numbers to grow significantly over the next few years.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

International Relations: Women

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paperIntegrated Review Refresh 2023: Responding to a more contested and volatile world, published on 13 March, what steps they will take to ensure that women and women'svoices are included in their work to meet the new goal contained in that paper "to manage the risks of miscalculation and escalation between major powers".

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Integrated Review Refresh 2023 sets out the priority the UK places on providing women and girls with the freedom they need to succeed. We launched our fifth Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan (2023-2027) in February which outlines in more detail our work to reduce the global impact of conflicts on women and girls, by ensuring our foreign, defence and security policy, diplomatic efforts and international development work to address their needs. The WPS National Action Plan responds to the new global context, reflecting on Ukraine and Afghanistan. It champions women's full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes; we know that mediation efforts, conflict prevention and resolution more broadly are more successful when they are inclusive.

Department for Business and Trade

Parental Leave and Parental Pay

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Stedman-Scott on 8 March (HL Deb col 793), whenthey expect to publish (1) the report of the evaluation of the Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme that they initiated in early 2018, and (2) the findings of the Parental Rights Study 2019.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Evaluating Shared Parental Leave and Pay is an important part of the policymaking process. As part of the evaluation, we commissioned surveys which asked about a range of parental leave and pay entitlements as well as about Shared Parental Leave specifically. We are currently considering this information and will publish our findings in due course. In 2019 the Government consulted on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay. We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

Parental Pay

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Scott of Bybrook on 8 March (HL Deb col 793), where she stated that "the number of couples taking up shared parental leave and pay is increasing year on year; last year it was at 13,000", what wasthe total number of claimants of Statutory Shared Parental Pay in each year since 2015–16, broken down by gender.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Information provided by employers to HM Revenue and Customs show the number of individuals in receipt of Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP). This data provides a broad indication of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) take-up but does not include anyone taking unpaid Shared Parental Leave.Table 1: Individuals in receipt of ShPP by gender, 2015/16 to 2021/22Year (April to March)No. of individuals in receipt of ShPPWomenMenTotal2015-161,1005,1006,2002016-171,6007,1008,6002017-181,7007,5009,2002018-192,2008,50010,7002019-202,6009,90012,6002020-212,6008,60011,2002021-223,2009,80013,000Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.Figures are based on the total number of individuals in a given year, irrespective of when the payment first started. Some individuals will be counted across two years.For 2015-16, those receiving Additional Statutory Paternity Pay cannot be distinguished from those claiming ShPP.

Public Sector: Strikes

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide guidance to public bodies regarding the use of court action in response to strikes.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The law is well established in this area and the means to enforce it are widely understood. Employers can seek an injunction in the High Court if they believe a union has not followed its statutory obligations in relation to strike action.

Home Office

Refugees: Ukraine

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government what facility they provide for sibling family reunion in the UK for long-term residents of Ukraine who do not have Ukrainian citizenship, and who are therefore not entitled to nomination by the UNHCR under present arrangements for refugees from that country, in circumstances where the individual has fled to a third country.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Non-Ukrainian nationals who were resident in Ukraine prior to the invasion are eligible for the Ukraine Family Scheme or Homes for Ukraine Scheme if they are the immediate family members of Ukrainians who are also benefiting from those schemes.

Human Trafficking

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people entered the National Referral Mechanism in January and February of (1) 2022, and (2) 2023; and of those, how many received reasonable grounds decisions.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the (NRM). The 2022 statistics can be found here;https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1139171/modern-slavery-national-referral-mechanism-and-duty-to-notify-statistics-uk-end-of-year-summary-2022.ods Data for Q1 2023 is due for publication on 04/05/2023. The data shows the number of NRM referrals received each quarter and the number of reasonable grounds decisions made each quarter regardless of when the referral was received.Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service.The disaggregated data shows the year and quarter in which an NRM referral was received and the year and quarter in which a reasonable grounds decision was made. Data for Q1 2023 (xlsx, 1668.9KB)

Department for Transport

Transport: Databases

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthey plan to publish their transport data strategy; and, given the Department for Transport has been working on it since 2020–21, why it has not yet been published.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department published the Transport Data Strategy (TDS) on 28 March. Work on the Transport Data Strategy was paused during the Covid Pandemic, as officials working on it were needed for the response work.

A14: Tree Planting

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what was the cost to public funds of the failure of 630,000 tree saplings planted along the A14 by National Highways; and whether any lessons have been learned for future tree planting schemes.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: A total of c.860,000 trees have been planted across the mainline scheme and National Highways have spent c.£2m to date. There is a further c.£2m within the original budget to undertake the necessary work and bring the planting on the scheme into a better condition. National Highways conducted a review in the Autumn 2022 to analyse reasons for tree failures and inform a replanting strategy. This included analysing soil samples taken along the route to better understand the reasons for failure. Based on the lessons learned, National Highways has produced a replanting strategy which includes: Replanting with cell grown trees which have a higher success rate than bare root trees.Replanting between October 2023 and March 2024 which is the optimum planting season and avoids potentially very dry summer periods.Planting the optimum species for the local soil conditions as soil conditions vary across the scale of the scheme.

Restoring Your Railway Fund

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to announce another competition for the Restoring Railway Fund; and if so, when.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Since being announced in January 2020 the Restoring Your Railway Fund has developed an ambitious portfolio of potential restoration schemes to reconnect smaller communities across England and Wales. The third round of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund stopped accepting new bids on 5 March 2021. This was the final round of the Ideas Fund for the foreseeable future. We are now focussed on realising the benefits of those schemes in order to regenerate local economies and improve access to jobs, homes and education.

Railways: Tickets

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making on the tendering process for the Consolidated Online Retail Solution to deliver advanced rail retailing in the 15 months since the Prior Information Notice was formally issued on 15 December 2021.

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Consolidated Online Retail Solution is the only new rail retailing platform that (1) they, or (2) representatives of the Great British Railways Transition Team, are proposing; and if there are any alternative proposals, what those entail.

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether anynew rail retailing platform that (1) they, or (2) representatives from the Great British Railways Transition Team, are proposing will be subject to full and open public tender.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As set out in the Plan for Rail, we recognise that the current multitude of train company websites with different standards of service is confusing to passengers. We are continuing to review the best way to address this and are working closely with the rail sector to do this. We will also open up railway data and systems, whilst lowering barriers to entry for the industry. For ticketing, that means a more competitive retail market and we welcome new players to spur more innovation and give passengers the services they need. Further updates on rail retailing proposals will be provided in due course.

Railways: Tickets

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received from (1) organisations, or (2) persons, opposed to them proceeding with the Consolidated Online Retail Solution (CORS) for new advanced rail retailing; and whether any of those representations has contributed to the delay to the CORS.

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they havehad with the Competition and Markets Authority concerning proposals by any Department for Transport operator of last resort Train Operating Company (1) to establish and expand its rail retail footprint, and (2) to provide wider digital retail servicesto the rail retail sector.

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they havehad with the Competition and Markets Authority concerning any preferential market access which could be enjoyed byanyDepartment for Transport operator of last resort Train Operating Companyin its (1) promotion, and (2) sale, of new rail retail products and services across the rail sector.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We have been clear that there must be a level playing field between any future Great British Railways retail function and independent retailers to provide a competitive market that benefits customers. Independent retailers play an important role in growing the market and delivering innovation. We consulted on our proposals around the retail market, where bodies, such as the Competition and Markets Authority, could express their views, and we are continuing conversations with the Office of Rail and Road and the Competition and Markets Authority while developing policy for online retail. We will publish a response in due course along with any further updates.

Motor Vehicles: Lighting

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government what regulations cover the retrofitting of headlights to vehicles; and when those regulations were last updated.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government what regulations apply to retrofitting car headlights with LED bulbs.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made with international partners to develop and introduce improved headlamp aiming requirements.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 as amended govern the in-use fitment and maintenance of vehicle headlamps and were last updated in 2019. To minimise the risk of glare these regulations require that approved vehicle lamps are fitted only with approved light sources, including LEDs.International activity is ongoing at the United Nations and proposals to amend headlamp aiming criteria are expected to be agreed in April, together with requirements for mandatory automatic headlamp levelling.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Leasehold

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government how manypeople in England over the age of 18 live in leasehold properties.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Department does not hold this data.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Scott of Bybrook on 24 March (HL6409),whether they will publish a comprehensive list of the bodies and individualsfrom whom they have received views opposed to the planned siting of the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Those opposed to the scheme were able to submit their comments to Westminster City Council. All comments are publicly available on the planning inquiry website.

Private Rented Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they will take to ensure that landlords undertake the necessary repairs to their properties when problems are identified by their tenants.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government has set a mission to halve the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030.The Social Housing (Regulation) Bill currently in parliament will introduce measures to improve the quality of social housing, including a new, proactive consumer regulation regime. Recent amendments to the Bill introduced 'Awaab's Law', which will introduce new requirements for social landlords to address hazards in the home within a fixed time period.Our forthcoming reforms to private renting will improve conditions more broadly for properties in the sector.

Infrastructure: Planning

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to pursue further planning reforms to speed up approvals forinfrastructure projects that are critical to the UK’s economic transformation.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government recently published (23 February 2023) an Action Plan for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), which sets out how the consenting process for NSIPs will be reformed. This will enable the planning system to deliver the major infrastructure needed to improve energy security, achieve net zero and deliver the transport connectivity, water and waste management facilities this country needs.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the impact of defining 'defect' in the Developer Remediation Contract, published on 17 February, differently from 'relevant defect', in the Building Safety Act 2022; and what effect this will have on ensuring buildings are adequately remediated.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The definition of 'Defect' in the developer remediation contract and the definition of 'Relevant Defect' in the Building Safety Act were drafted for different purposes.The definition of 'Relevant Defect' in the Building Safety Act 2022 is used in relation to a wider range of actors, defect types and circumstances.The definition of 'Defect' in the developer remediation contract was drafted to match the wording of a public pledge signed by 49 developers. Under the developer pledge and the contract which codifies the pledge commitments, developers commit to addressing life-critical fire safety defects arising from the original design, construction or refurbishment of the building, and to do so in line with relevant standards.

Local Government: Elections

The Earl of Lytton: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the diversity of councillors by encouraging and supporting more people to stand for election.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government believes that no one should feel deterred or excluded from standing or serving as a councillor.The Local Authority Government Sector Support Programme 2022-23 funds the Local Government Association's delivery of an expanded 'Be a Councillor' campaign to promote a greater diversity of candidates. We also provide funding to support disabled councillors including those hoping to stand for election.

Leasehold: Reform

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government when theyplan to introduce a bill to address the issue of leasehold reform.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: As has been the case under successive administrations, announcements about future legislation will be set out in the normal way.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fruit and Vegetables: Imports

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the resilience of the supply chain for imports of fruit and vegetables.

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of levels of food security inEngland; and, in particular, of self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables.

Lord Benyon: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. Domestic food production, coupled with international trade, gives us national resilience. When it comes to food we can produce here, we are 74% self-sufficient. Our aim is to broadly maintain the current level of food that we produce domestically and boost production in sectors where there are the biggest opportunities. Defra has a collaborative relationship with industry which allows us to effectively respond to disruption, should it occur. Some supermarkets applied item limits to a small number of fruit and vegetables due to poor weather affecting the harvest in Spain and North Africa, where a high proportion of produce consumed in UK at this time of year is grown. However, with the exception of one retailer, these limits have now been removed, reflecting that fact that supply is returning to normal levels. Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work. Defra publishes annual statistics on horticulture, including some self-sufficiency statistics here: Latest horticulture statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Electronic Cigarettes: Waste

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by theParliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 February 2022 (38774), when they intend to make an assessment of the environmental cost of single-use batteries in disposable vapes beingimproperly disposed.

Lord Benyon: We are aware that the use of disposable vaping products which contain batteries has increased substantially in recent years and are considering the implications for the environment. As part of the review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, we will consult on policies aimed at driving up levels of separate collection of electric and electronic waste, including vaping devices, later this year. A separate consultation on batteries is also scheduled for later this year and is similarly looking to strengthen the collection of portable batteries, including those contained in vapes.

Electronic Cigarettes: Waste

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to address the environmental hazard posed by discarded disposable vapes; and what consideration they have given to banning thesale of these products.

Lord Benyon: There are no immediate plans to ban disposable vapes. However, as part of the review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, we will consult on policies aimed at driving up levels of separate collection of electric and electronic waste, including vaping devices, later this year.

Electronic Cigarettes: Waste

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the damage to the marine environment caused by the disposal of single use vapes.

Lord Benyon: We have not made an assessment of the environmental impacts of disposable vapes. However, as part of the review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, we will consult on policies aimed at driving up levels of separate collection of electric and electronic waste, including vaping devices, later this year.

Horticulture: Vacancies

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government what skills gaps they have identified in the UK horticulture sector.

Lord Benyon: Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the horticulture sector’s skills gaps; enabling an innovative, productive and competitive food and farming industry which invests in its people and skills to drive growth is a key priority for the Government. Attracting bright new talent that is diverse and inclusive into agricultural and horticultural careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming. By raising awareness of agriculture and horticulture as an exciting and attractive career path, people will understand the opportunities available to them in the farming and land management industry. An Independent Review of Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain began in September. The review will focus on farming, processing, and food and drink manufacturing as sectors that are critical for food production and food security. Skills in the food supply chain is a critical area that will be covered in the final report. The final report will be published by summer 2023 and the Government response will follow thereafter.  The Government is contributing towards the establishment of a new professional body for the farming industry; The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH). TIAH is aimed at removing the fragmentation that exists within current learning and skills landscape for farming businesses, enabling the industry to drive greater uptake of skills, creating clear career development pathways and promoting the sector as a progressive, professional and attractive career choice. TIAH has launched a pilot to help develop its services ahead of a general launch to wider membership. The Government is also reforming post-16 technical education to provide clearer routes into skilled employment in agriculture and other sectors. A key part of this is the introduction of the new Technical Level programmes (T-levels) which include pathways in agriculture, environmental and animal health and care. Alongside apprenticeships this provides more opportunities and pathways for young people looking for careers in agriculture and horticulture. Alongside training opportunities, TIAH will also provide information about apprenticeships. There are currently 40 high-quality apprenticeship standards available in the agriculture, environmental and animal care sector including Horticulture and landscaping technical manager.